Crate



M- R. MOFFITT.

CRATE.

APPLICATION man NOV. 28-. I919.

INVENTOR MEMf/ITZ ATTORNEYS WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CRATE.

Application filed November 28, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Monnis R. Morrrrr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Peek, in the county of Sedgwick and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in crates, and has for its object to provide a device of the character specified especially adapted for use with motor vehicles, and to be arranged upon the running board of the vehicle, and having means for clamping the same to the running board, wherein the crate is composed of detachable sections, permitting it to be quickly assembled for use or disassembled for storage or transportation.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of a portion of a car, showing the crate in place;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. i is a section on the line H of Fig. 8;

Fig. 5 is a partial perspective view showing the connecting mechanism for the elements of the crate.

In the present embodiment of the invention the improved crate consists of two sides 1 and 2, two ends 3, a bottom 4: and a top 5. The bottom and top are preferably of solid construction, being composed of one or more sections of plank, and the same is true of the ends, while the sides are slatted as shown. It is obvious, however, that the top and ends might also be slatted if desired.

Each end 3 has a laterally extending flange 6 at its lower end which is adapted to engage beneath the adjacent end of the bottom 4, and the said bottom has transverse cleats near its ends, and in position to be engaged by the flanges when the ends are in place.

Each end has also near its top a transverse cleat 7 upon which the adjacent end of the top 5 rests when the top is in place, and the top has on its under face near each end a transverse cleat 8 for engagement by the adjacent cleat 7, as shown in Fig. 4;. The sides also have vertical cleats 9 near their ends, against which the ends 3 abut when the ends are in place, and the ends abut also against the bottom 1 and top 5 of the crate. Thus all of the parts are held in proper spaced relation, by means of the cleats, and the flange Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 16, 1921.

Serial No. 341,116.

6 permits the crate to be lifted as a whole by taking hold of the ends.

The crate may also be lifted by taking hold of the sides, the flanges 6 holding the bottom in place and in proper position. One of the slats, indicated at 10, of the front is made detachable, the said slat being not nailed to the uprights on the side as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and this slat is held in place under normal conditions by means of rods 11. These rods extend transversely of the ends intermediate the tops and bottoms thereof, and each rod has at each end a laterally bent portion 12, extending toward the opposite end of the crate when the rods are in place. Each of these laterally bent portions has an angular lug 13 which is adapted to engage a staple 141 in the adjacent vertical member of the front or back, as the case may be, and cotter pins are passed through openings in the lugs to prevent disengagement of the rods. Referring to Fig. 1, it will be noted that these rods 11 are at the ends of the movable slat 10, and they prevent longitudinal movement of the slat when they are in place. They also serve to hold the sides of the crate in close contact with the ends, and this hold ing movement is supplemented by other rods 15 which are arranged at the top of the ends. These rods 15 have angularly bent portions 16 provided with angular lugs 17 which engage staples 18 on the front and back, and cotter pins are passed through the lugs below the staples. The top 5 is held in place by means of angle bars 19. Each of the bars 19 has one portion pivoted to an eye 20 on the top and the other portion is adapted to engage beneath the adjacent rod 15 when the said rod is in place.

Referring to Fig. 5, it will be noticed that the rods 15 have outwardly bent portions 21 at the angle bars for receiving the said bars, and each angle bar has an outwardly bent portion 22 below the rod. Thus the top is locked in place on the crate by means of the angle bars, the said bars engaging beneath the rods 15.

The improved crate is held to the running board 23 of the motor vehicle indicated at 24 by means of clamps, one clamp being arranged near each end of the crate. Each of these clamps consists of a late 25 extending transversely of the crate, and a plate 26 held in spaced relation with respect to the plate 25 and adapted to pass beneath'the running the opposite sides of the crate, and each bolt is engaged by 'tWo nuts 30 above the plate.

The bolt 29 is of a length such thatit vvill not interfere With the body of the vehicle 7 when in place, and the end of the bolt 28 is passed upwardly through an opening in the plate 25. 1 By means ofthe nuts it Will be obvious that the plates may be so spaced that they will fit smoothly on opposite faces of the running board and they may be now clamped onthe running board by means of the bolt 27.

In placing the improved crate, the nut of the bolt 27 is loosened until the inner end of the plate 26 drops far enough to permit :the bolt 29 to pass the running board and extend into the position of Fig. 3. The nut of the bolt 27 is then tightened and the plates are properly spaced by the nuts 30. Referring to Fig. 3, it Will be seen that the inner end of the plate 26 has several openings for the bolt 29, providing thus for different Widths of running board. The nuts 30 and the bolts28 and 29 provide for different thicknesses of running board. The front 2 has a ring 31 at lts top and intermedlate its ends andthis ring is adapted to be engaged by the central portion of a rope 32 Whose ends are connected \viththe robe rail 33 and thelrame 34; of the windshield.

I' claim: 1. A crate comprising side and end Wall ment by the top Wall, and the side Walls having stops for engagement by the end Walls to limit thelr inward movement, a common means for clampingthe sides and the ends in place and for clamping the top to the ends, said means comprising rods extending transversely of the ends andhaving angular portions engaging over the'sidesythe angular portions having depending lugs, and the sides having staples for engagement by the lugs, and angle bars pivoted at one end to the top and extending at the'other between the rods and the ends, said rods having out- Wardly bentportions for receiving the angle bars.

2. A crate comprising side and end Walls and a top and bottom Wall, the end Walls having inwardly extending flanges at their bottoms for engaging beneath the ends of the 'bottom Wall, and having stops for en gagement 'bythe top Wall, andthe side Walls having stops for engagement by the end Walls to limit their inward movement, a common means for clamping the sides and the ends in place and for clamping the top to the ends, said means comprising rods ex tending transversely of the ends and hav ing angular portions engaging over the sides, the angular portions having depending lugs, and the sideshaving staples forengagement by the lugs, and angle bars pivoted at one end to the top andextending at the other betweenthe rods andthe ends.

MORRIS RALPH MOFFITT. 

